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As we reported last January, The Tape Project, a collaboration among mastering engineers Paul Stubblebine and Michael Romanowski, both of Paul Stubblebine Mastering, and Dan Schmalle of Bottlehead, plans to release 10 master-quality tapes per year. The Tape Project's inaugural outing, available now, is The Number White by jazz vocalist Jaqui Naylor.

The ¼" half-track open-reel tapes are recorded at 15ips, equalized to the IEC curve (previously known as CCIR). "There are many machines that meet these specs," said Schmalle, "but many don't—so the Tape Project's website has a database of tape machines that do."

The Tape Project also sells specially rebuilt Technics RS1500 tape decks for "approximately $7500." The decks feature custom playback heads manufactured by Flux Magnetics, mated to playback electronics developed by Schmalle and Paul Joppa of Bottlehead Corp.

The Tape Project tapes are available as subscriptions: six releases for $1200 or a charter subscription of all 10 for $2000. Individual tapes are available for $329.